Tender Is My Love For You
by MarinersRevenge
Summary: "...Somewhere along the way, I fell for you, it crept up on me," Draco stared into her brown eyes and if it was at all possible fell deeper. Hermione returned his stare, her expression open and emotions swirled in her eyes. Draco leans closer to her and whispers, "If you'll have me, I am yours forever."
1. Chapter 1

**All things Harry Potter belong to JK Rowling. I just like playing with her toys.**

* * *

Draco Malfoy was pissed.

Draco Malfoy was supremely cheesed off and it was all Granger's fault.

Not only had she sent him out like a common peasant to run her errands; he was weighed down by books he had no choice but to charm so that they followed him like a flock of angry seagulls. He also had to run messages like an owl to the shops for potion supplies.

When he asked why she can't just send the books back with owls? Helpfully pointing out that she did, after all, order all these books on her loan contract from Flourish & Blotts and it was delivered by one very sorry and tired looking owl. She did not like or appreciate his logic in the slightest.

His ears are still ringing, at this rate he'll be a long time sufferer of tinnitus.

 _She has the voice that could rival a fully grown Mandrake on the face of an angel- wait…_

Draco stopped dead in his tracks, the crowd of books behind him smacking pedestrians as they quickly engulfed him. Ignoring the outraged and surprised protests, he pondered his last thought.

He thinks her face is pretty? Where did that come from?

He began to stroll, the books still blocking most of the sidewalk forcing people to duck or move out the way completely. Lost in thought he slowly made his way to the bookstore, with an absent swish of his wand he sent all the books crashing through the door and continued on his way deaf to the cries of the shop's occupants.

Granger? Why did he like Granger's face?

Sure, they worked well together. They had become friends after returning to Hogwarts for their 8th year and then that friendship continued when they entered an internship offered to become potions masters. They had found at Hogwarts that they made excellent partners, having been partnered for the year by Slughorn. After the initial awkwardness, one heartfelt apology and acceptance later, they slowly came to find that they had more in common than they had previously thought. He was even friends with Luna and Ginny.

How that happened when he wasn't looking is still a mystery to him but friends they were. Ron and Harry, can go jump off a short bridge for all he cares but they have a tentative truce that only holds when in Hermione's presence.

Thinking about Hermione Granger conjured up her face in his mind. She still looked the same as she did at Hogwarts but her hair was slightly more tame, still a bushy mess that threatened to strangle him if he got to close but it suited her. After the Densaugeo incident of 1994, as they began calling it jokingly, her smile though slightly crooked held charm and he loved-

Loved!

Draco's eyes widen as he stops on the sidewalk again, agitatedly running his hands down his face, hoping that it cleared the torrent of thoughts that flooded his head. A mother clutches her child close to her as she hurriedly skirts around him, her child pointing at him asking about the strange man and his strange behavior.  
 _  
He, Draco Malfoy, loved Hermione Granger's face and smile and her personality and her mind and oh, Merlin…_

"Salazar's salty balls! I'm in love with Hermione Granger," Draco scowled harshly, happy feelings surging through him. It was a rather unusual reaction to realizing he was in love, but Draco scowled and _was_ happy nonetheless. Rushing into the Apothecary, he cut the line of customers, dropping the list of supplies off with a harassed clerk who blinked at him owlishly, before briskly walking back to the apparition point.

Appearing in the Ministry's lobby, he made his way to the lifts his scowl causing the occupants to get off early on other floors- _they can just use the stairs,_ they all thought. His good mood lasted for a few more floors until it started to drop as his thoughts caught up with him.

"I'm in love with Hermione Granger. This is terrible!"

* * *

Hermione Granger was confused.

Hermione Granger was perplexed and that did not sit well with her.

After sending Draco out with the last of the errands they needed to do before the short holiday weekend, ha! she intentionally took the easy task of cleaning up, Hermione was startled when Draco slammed through their shared lab door.

"Merlin, Draco! You know better than to slam through the doors like that! What if I was carrying caustic materials?" Hermione placed her hands on her hips and was in prime lecture mode when she stopped at his expression and appearance. His looked disheveled, well as disheveled as a Malfoy can get- "Malfoys are never disheveled, Granger." - and he was staring at her. Really staring at her, like he had never seen her before in his life.

That made her very nervous.

"Draco?" she ventured, nervously plucking at her shirt hem. "Is something the matter?"

Instead of answering her, he swiftly moved to his things grabbing them and muttering the whole time. Hermione thought she heard "love" and "Oh merlin" a couple of times before she steeled herself and placed her hand onto Draco's arm. His entire body went rigid at her touch before relaxing. Hermione's brows furrowed slightly and she cocked her head in question.

"Everything ok?"

He turned to her and blinked slowly. "Yes," Draco cleared his throat discretely, "Why wouldn't it be?"

Outwardly his face was the usual calm and snarky mask he usually wore; inwardly, Draco's heart started to perform a complicated jig and his stomach decided it wanted to move south by his shoes for an indefinite amount of time.

"What? Missed me, Granger?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and removed her hand much to Draco's displeasure. He tamped that feeling down swiftly before he could do something stupid like snog her or hug her or worse.

"No, you prat. You just came in here looking like someone told you that all the hair gel in the world had been destroyed and you couldn't believe it," Hermione retorted and moved over to her things gathering them up as well.

"Hey! I haven't worn hair gel since 8th year." left unsaid, _when you told me that I should wear my hair without it.  
_  
"I know, you look much more normal. Less like a giant drowned ferret," Hermione laughed softly at his expression as she picked up her ratty messenger bag hoisting it over her shoulder. "What are your plans for our short little holiday? I've been meaning to ask. What do rich people do when they don't have to work?"

Hermione walked over to his desk settling herself beside him, the soft floral perfume of her shampoo wafted over when she began to fix her messy bun. A stray curl fell into her face and Draco had the urge to touch it but he tamped that down as well. His eyes skittered away from her as he shuffled the rest of his papers around.

"The usual. Spend galleons on feverous things, like goblin made crowns-"

"Crowns?"

"Yes, crowns. My mother has a collection of them. She gets a different one every year that is specially crafted by only the finest of Goblin smithies. She wears them around the manor occasionally. My father gave her most of them but I took up the tradition when he died."

Hermione placed her hand on his and squeezed gently, "You miss him don't you?"

Draco takes a deep breath, shaking his head slightly. "He was flawed, we can't all say we are perfect, but I knew he loved my mother and I."

Hermione stared down at their hands before fidgeting with her bag strap, "Do you, uh, do you have one?"

Draco glances at her from the side of his eye, smirking, the heavier mood lifting.

"Yes. My mother had one made for me as well. It's not as ornate as hers but it's still wonderfully crafted."

Hermione imagined Narcissa wearing a ornate crown with gold tendrils that weaved into her silver hair, with inlays of golden flowers and jewels, perched upon her head sitting down for tea. She then imagined Draco wearing a circlet of silver leaves and gold vines intertwined that rested upon his brow with his silver blonde hair and grey eyes and his dark suits and robes. In her mind he looked otherworldly, like a Fae. She blushed heavily and looked down at her shoes. Draco had continued talking, oblivious to her blush.

"-torture more coffee kiosk workers-"

"No, Draco! Do not torture coffee kiosk workers!" Hermione's blush receded only to be replaced by one of frustration. "The one that works in the Ministry lobby just left on a doctor recommended holiday for an undetermined amount of time. That poor girl goes into a panic attack every time she sees you approach!"

"Maybe then she'll learn how to make a decent cup of coffee," Draco sniffed and Hermione threw her hands up in exasperation.

"But you never order coffee. You order some sort of alchemist recipe. I'm half expecting the kiosk to burst into flames or for you to make a another Philosopher's Stone," Hermione gestures wildly with her hands.

"Problem with my beverage choices, Granger?"

"YES! What in the world is 2/3 caff triple ristretto affogato venti, 2 pump mango 1 pump classic, 2%, mango to the second line, 3 scoops protein-"

"Did you _memorize_ my coffee order?"

"- 3 scoops berries, 2 scoop matcha, add banana, double blended, with whip, caramel drizzle, salted caramel topping, vanilla bean frappuccino?"

Hermione placed her hands on her hips and taps her foot and Draco can't help but think she was adorable in her agitation.

"A drink befitting a Malfoy," he smirked at her.

Hermione huffed in exasperation and punched his arm- "My arm, woman! I bruise easily!"- looking away from him to adjust the straps on her bag again. A comfortable silence falls between them. Draco wonders when he had gotten so comfortable with her around that when she wasn't there he felt lost. She memorized his coffee order for Salazar's sake.

"…Draco?"

He blinks out of his thoughts and looks towards Hermione.

"What?"

Hermione smiles at him, shaking her head. "I said 'bye,'" she reached out and touched his hand gently. "Are… are you sure everything is ok?"

 _No_.

Touching her warm hand, he nods.

"Yes, I'm fine."

"Ok, I'll see you later then," Hermione waves slightly as she steps out of the lab. Draco's shoulders slump and he rubs his face with his hand. He needed to figure out what to do about these pesky feelings. He needed help and he knew just who to ask.

* * *

"Ok, so let me get this straight. You, Draco Malfoy. Wealthy Sacred 28 pureblood heir to the Malfoy fortune, are in love with my best friend Muggleborn savior of the Wizarding world, Hermione Granger?"

Draco grimaced shifting on the couch. "Yes, that about sums it up."

"Oh my Gods!" Ginny covers her mouth and starts to laugh. "This is just too perfect! I knew this would happen. I said to myself 'you know, Ginny?-"

"You talk to yourself in third person?"

Ginny ignores him and continues, "' _There has to be some sort of underlying sexual tension-_ "

"There wasn't – there isn't- sexual tension!"

" _'- for Malfoy to be targeting Hermione especially after that wonderful slap during third year when he started to make calf eyes at her every time she passed by-'_ "

"I did not and do not make calf eyes-"

"And I was like ' _yes, Ginny-_ '"

"Still weird that you talk to yourself in third person."

"' _-you are right he does have a fixation on Hermione.'_ and then I saw your face when she walked down the stairs in that beautiful dress for Yule."

Draco was silent, he remembered the way she looked as well. She was beautiful and he hated Krum was her date for the entire night. He was not used to the feelings of jealousy that coursed through his veins. And when he got home that summer he tore down the pictures of Krum he had on his wall and promptly burned them.

"And then there was that time during 6th year where I though for sure you were glaring at Harry-"

"I was."

"- but every time you saw Hermione, your expression softened. I've never seen you look like that before."

Draco didn't like to think of Sixth year. It was hell, pure and simple and while most of the time he glared at Potter and his sidekick Weasel, Hermione was like a light in the dark. Of course any thought of approaching her aside from his usual antics was not something he could do. He was glad and still a bit surprised that Hermione became his friend.

"Ok, I see your point, Red," Draco drawled as he sat back on the sofa. "I have feelings for your friend. Fate must really have a sense of humor."

Ginny laughs again and pats his shoulder, "Yes, Fate is rather funny isn't it. Do you remember the Amortentia lesson in sixth year?"

Draco looked at her in confusion, "but you weren't in that class."

Ginny shook her head, "No, I wasn't but Hermione told me about what happened when she smelled the potion."

"Fresh cut grass, new parchment and she never finished. I could only assume then that she smelled your brother."

Ginny nods her head and takes a biscuit from the tray in front of her. "After 6th year Hermione took that as a sign that she was destined for Ron. So she took a chance on kissing him during the final battle."

Draco sneers, "Yeah, she told me she had kissed him and I couldn't fathom why she would kiss that red headed degenerate. No offense, Red."

Ginny shrugs and grins, "None taken. My brother is an idiot most of the time. It is my cross to bare." She sighs dramatically and takes a bite of her biscuit. "Anyway, after that kiss, Hermione didn't see Ron for a while but they came to the conclusion they were better off as friends. But you guys did Amortentia in class again with Slughorn when we returned for eighth year."

Draco remembers that lesson. Hermione went first and smelled their potion and she blushed from the roots of her hair to the base of her neck. She stuttered an excuse to Slughorn about the vapors getting to her and rushed out of class without even a glance towards Draco.

"What are you saying that Hermione smelled _me_?" Draco's voice was tinged with hope.

"Maybe. I'm not telling though. It's not mine to tell but if she did smell you, after the Ron fiasco, she is a little reluctant to believe that sort of thing again. You're going to need to convince her."

Ginny fixes him with an intense stare and Draco gulped.

He was starting to think that talking to Ginny was a bad idea.


	2. Chapter 2

" _Ok, so here is what you're going to do. You are going to send her flowers with a note that says something romantic like 'Granger, you are my Galleon in my pocket' or like 'Know what's on the menu? Me-n-u.'"_

" _Those. Are. Absolutely. Terrible. I should not be asking you what to write on a card. You did, after all, send Scarhead that terrible Valentine's poem."_

" _I was trying to be nice! He hadn't received any Valentines cards. So, you know," Ginny lopsidedly shrugs._

" _So you sent him a terrible poem? To be nice? Oh, that's wonderful! It was a pity Valentine's card!" Draco doubles over laughing and Ginny stares at him with a distinctly Molly glare._

" _Are you done? If we can get back on track please!"_

 _Draco wipes his eyes and balls a fist over his mouth. He nods but his shoulders still shake with barely suppressed laughter._

" _Oh get out of here and get her flowers!"_

Finding a flower shop was easy.

Finding the right kind of flowers to send to Hermione was hard. He didn't even know what kind of flower she liked. So Draco settled on a rather massive bouquet of Stargazer lilies in a delicate glass vase to be magically delivered to her desk on Tuesday morning, the day they were due back from their short holiday.

He made sure to get there first and placed the card on her desk. The flowers would pop into existence as soon as she opened the card.

Hermione bustled into their shared office off the side of the lab. She smiles warmly at Draco and drops off a paper cup with tea and is about to drop her bag on her desk when she notices the card propped up with her name spelled in neat cursive.

She glances up discreetly at Draco thru her eyelashes and reads the card.

" _Your face_

 _is a piece of music_

 _mute_

 _as the wind_

 _Yet I hear it_

 _from afar, not forgetting_

 _even without seeing_

 _and I follow, by heart_

 _the sigh of this ah-_

 _more torn_

 _blind and alone"_

 _Armando Freitas Filho_

Hermione gasped lightly as a bouquet of Stargazer lilies in a delicate glass vase appeared before her on her desk. They were absolutely beautiful.

Draco smiles down at his desk hearing her gasp of surprise. Looking up he eyes the flowers and Hermione's expression pleased that he got it right.

"Secret admirer, Granger?" he drawled, as he leaned back in his chair.

"Yes, it appears so," Hermione absently answered and reached a hand to touch them. Gently fingering the petals, she felt her hand begin to itch and burn, forming angry splotches of color to bloom all over her hand. Jumping up from his desk, Draco made his way around to Hermione, concerned.

"What happened?"

Hermione held up her unaffected hand when Draco reached to touch her.

"No, no don't touch! I don't want to spread it to you!"

"Spread what to me?"

Hermione gestures to her hand, "This rash. It seems I only get it when I am exposed to plants that have been treated with Potter's Pots."

Draco stared at her with slightly raised brows.

"The magical weed repellent?"

Draco blinks and then scowls.

 _Of course, even after Hogwarts, Potter screws up everything._

Potter's Pots was not a product made by Harry but the manufacturer asked for permission to use with his last name and image. Harry's only stipulation was that part of the proceeds go to charity, to which that developer gladly agreed. Ad campaigns in the Daily Prophet depicted colorful images of a Harry Potter stamping out weed versions of Voldemort and his forces.

"I was helping Neville with his garden over the holiday and I forgot my gardening gloves. Neville tried to let me borrow his but I declined. Turns out I should have because I ended up with this rash," Hermione, using her unaffected hand, carefully pulls her wand from it's holster and casts a mild cooling charm, before accio-ing a medical wrap from her bag. She spelled it to go around her affected hand and sighed in relief, the cooling charm helping the painful areas of the rash. Grabbing her quill, she began to write a note to their supervisor.

"When Neville grabbed my hand to help me it transferred to him, sort of like very aggressive Poison Ivy," she continues absently as she sends the memo off.

Hermione turns back around to her desk, points her wand at the flowers and banishes them. While her back was turned, Draco's expression is despondent. He hadn't accounted for the flowers to be practically doused in a product that Hermione was allergic to. Draco schools his features back into one of concern and gestures to her desk.

"Do you need help with anything?"

Hermione shakes her head, "No I've got it from here, Draco. I need to go home though. I don't want to pass it along. I have some topical cream that St. Mungos gave me, should be gone within the day. I'll see you tomorrow."

Turning back to her desk she magically levitates her belongs in front of her and turns to leave.

"It's such a shame though, they were very pretty flowers and would look lovely in my flat."

"Yeah, a shame…," Draco drawls, staring at the spot where his gift once sat.

Hermione smiles softly and leaves a scowling Draco in her wake.

By the end of the day, Draco had broken at least five quills, temporarily closed down one flower shop until they made sure none of their flowers were covered in Potter's Pots, and made a tour of Hogwarts students very uncomfortable in the lift. They got off five floors early.

* * *

"Alright, so, flowers weren't her thing."

Draco had once again taken refuge in Ginny's flat she shared with Luna. Scowling fiercely, he takes a bite of the biscuit in his hand; the sound of his hostile chewing the only noise.

"I didn't even know people could become allergic to magical bug repellant."

'Yeah, neither did I. Trust Granger to be the unique one."

Ginny taps her chin thoughtfully, a wicked grin spreading on her face.

"Well… at least she's not allergic to ferrets."

* * *

"Do you think he knows that I know that he sent me flowers?"

Luna hums as she swishes her wand absently.

"No, but I'm sure he'll figure it out. It's hard to miss all the Humdingers being all… humdingery around you two."

Hermione looks at Luna in bemusement.

"You made that up didn't you."

"A magician never reveals his secrets, Hermione," Luna grinned serenely as she tucks her wand behind her ear, "there, all done."

Hermione smiles and flexes her now carefully wrapped hand.

"Thank you, Luna."

Luna hums again and looks over her shoulder, "Happy, to help on both requests. I must say though, they really are something."

Hermione looks behind her at the bouquet of Stargazer lilies sitting in the afternoon sun. She smiles softly.

"Yes, they certainly are."


	3. Chapter 3

" _Alright, flowers didn't work. What about chocolates?"_

 _Draco fixes Ginny with a glare._

" _Are you absolutely sure that Granger is not A) allergic to chocolates," Draco ticks off on his hand, "or B) even like chocolates?"_

 _Ginny thinks for a moment and taps her fingers on her knee._

" _I do remember that she loves a special kind of chocolate that Victor had sent her from Bulgaria. Garash cake, I think it was called? Anyway, she loves that kind."_

 _Draco sighs, hoping that this time Ginny did not just help him inadvertently poison her best friend and the object of his affections._

After searching Diagon Alley's bakery and various Muggle London bakeries for Garash cake, Draco comes to the conclusion that he's going to have to go to Bulgaria.

Close to lunch Draco makes an excuse to Hermione stating that he has to run a quick errand for his mother and dashes down to the International Portkey office for his scheduled trip.

One badly dent portkey later, he's standing in the middle of Bulgaria's wizarding market, staring blearily at a bakery. Stepping inside, Draco is greeted with the sweet aroma of cakes and other deserts that filled his nose as he perused the glass enclosed display. He spys the cake sitting at the bottom of the display, two pieces already missing, and he gestures the clerk over.

Stumbling over his Bulgarian, the clerk helpfully switches to heavily accented English and Draco buys two pieces of the cake to send back to England. Delicately wrapped and cushioned to prevent damage from the portkey, Draco lands gracefully- as gracefully as one can land on portkey- back in the portkey office.

Draco is positive that this is a excellent idea and was thinking of all the ways he could present it to Hermione and ask her out on a date when the scene in front of him stops him in his tracks.

In the doorway of their office is Hermione hugging a man.

And not just any man.

It was Victor Bloody Krum.

Draco's green eyed monster woke with a vengeance, clawing around his chest and rattling it's cage at the sight of them wrapped together.

 _That's MY girl!_

Hermione pulls back from Victor's amorous embrace- _honestly is this man part octopus? It would explain somethings_ \- and smiles brightly at him.

"Victor! It's been so long!"

"Ja, Herminny. I 'ave brought you something from home."

Victor holds up the same pastry box that is behind Draco's back and Hermione gives a small woop when she sees the cake enclosed inside.

"Garash cake! Oh my goodness, it's been _ages_ since I've had this!"

"Maybe ve can go to, how you say, obyad, lunch? Together?"

Hermione looks as if too _hug_ Victor again, when Draco clears his throat. Hermione bestows a brilliant smile at Draco and gestures to Victor.

"Oh, Draco, you remember Victor?"

"Yes, I remember. Nice to see you again, Krum," Draco smiles- more like snarls- through gritted teeth.

Victor returns the smile with a decidedly smug one and Draco's eyes become slits.

"You as vell, Drago."

Draco shifts the box to one hand and reaches his other hand out to Victor who grasps it tightly. Draco narrows his eyes at Victor and grasps his hand tightly in return. Krum slight wince at Draco's tight grasp turned Draco's snarl into a wicked smirk of victory. Hands locked tightly together, they are in a tense standoff, with an oblivious Hermione smiling beside them. She gestures towards the door.

"We are about to head to lunch would you like to come?"

Draco looks at Hermione's open expression and while he would love nothing more than to go with her he didn't want to be a third wheel. Despite the green eyed monster clawing at his insides wanting to wring Krums stupid neck and claim Hermione in front of everyone. She would not like that. So Draco stepped back.

"No, that's ok. Since I left early I am going to catch up on some paperwork."

Hermione's expression dropped a little and Draco thinks that he chose wrong but she smiles again softer than before. "I'll bring you back something then," she promises, grabbing his hand she gives a squeeze and walks out of the office, Victor in tow.

Draco sighs heavily running his hand down his face. Setting the box down on his desk he walks over to the floo to make a call.

* * *

Hermione hums happily as she takes a bite of the chocolate cake in front of her. Victor looks on in amusement before shaking his head and taking a bite of his own piece.

"So, what did you think?" Hermione asked from behind her hand she was covering her mouth with as she finished chewing. Taking a sip of the water in front of him, Victor thoughtfully contemplates the cake in front of him.

"I think that you 'ave chosen vell, Herminny," Victor says as he nods, "Not many a wizard vould be able to control na zvyar, the beast, ja?"

"I know. Don't think I didn't notice your exchange though," she smirks at Victor who looks sheepish.

She pats his hand, "It's ok, Victor. But do it again your wife will be hearing about this."

She points a finger at his face and Victor throws back his head and laughs.

* * *

"Oo-er! This cake is bloody fantastic!"

Ginny scarfs the cake with gusto and Draco is vividly reminded that she is related to Weasley.

"Thank you for reminding that you were related to the Weasel," Draco drawls sarcastically and places his plate down on his desk.

Ginny blushes a bit, her cheeks full of cake and she slows down her eating.

"So, Victor Krum, eh?"

Draco closes his eyes and nods.

"Yeah, Victor Bloody 'I'm a international Quidditch star' Krum was in this office with his mammoth-," Draco gestures with his hands, "Ham hands! All over Hermione."

"Ham hands?"

Draco scowls at her, "Is that all you got from this?"

Ginny laughs, "No, but it is pretty funny seeing a flustered Draco."

She eyes Draco's untouched cake piece and taps her fork on her plate.

"Are you going to eat that?"

Draco picks up his fork and stabs the cake.

"I'll take that as a yes, then."


	4. Chapter 4

" _You want to do what?!"_

 _Draco winced at the screech from Ginny's mouth._

" _There is no need to shout, I can hear you just fine. Just because you grew up in a family of yellers doesn't mean you should yell in other people's ears."_

" _Oi!" Ginny punches his arm and he feigns a pained grunt, rubbing the spot. Raising an eyebrow, she glares at him expectantly._

" _I said that I want to get her a new familiar. You and Granger punch the same! Don't you know I bruise easily?"_

" _A new familiar? Do you think that's a good idea?"_

 _Draco looks away and sighs, "I know Crookshanks was special to her and that she has put off getting another familiar but I think that it's time to make some new memories with another. Not to say that she should forget Crookshanks but I think that another familiar will benefit greatly from her love."_

 _Ginny sighs and clasps her hands under her chin._

" _Aw! That's so cheesy and romantic. I ought to punch you again."_

Draco's initial thoughts of a quick in and out trip to Magical Menagerie was "Magical Menagerie was loud and smelly." And Draco immediately regretted his decision of wearing his nicer robes that day. He closed his eyes and silently cursed to himself, when he stepped onto something soft that squished under the heel of his dragonhide boots. Drawing his wand he scorgifies the bottom of his shoe and approached the Kneazle play area.

Various colored and spotted kittens rough housed or were napping in the sunlit area and Draco observed their play. He had read that if a Kneazles were temperamental but if they felt a affinity with a witch or wizard they would become the most loyal familiar outside of owls. That would explain why Crookshank was aggressive with everyone except for Hermione and her family.

After a few minutes of watching them play a small grey and black spotted kitten approached Draco. She looked up at him with intelligent green eyes and Draco slowly reached out to stroke behind it's long ears down to it's tufted tail. Slowly picking her up, Draco held up her in his arms.

"You, my clever girl, are going to be so happy with your new home. She's very nice and clever like you."

The kitten preened at his words and meowed in agreement. Walking to the front of the store, Draco bought a wicker sleeping bed, food and treats for the kitten's home. He shrunk them down to fit in his pocket and holding the kitten close, he stepped outside the shop walking down the street to Hermione's flat above the bookstore. Draco had been many times before when Hermione invited him to her weekly movie nights with her friends. Entering the side stairs that led up to the flat above, he paused at the landing.

"Well this is your stop, little one. Don't worry she's brilliant."

Taking the supplies from his pocket he enlarges them again placing them on the floor in front of the door and set the kitten down on the bed. Pulling a small notebook from his pocket and a self inking quill, he pens a quick note and places it on the bed. Straightening up he knocks on the door and began walking down the stairs when he heard Hermione's footsteps approaching the door.

"Coming!"

Hermione opened the door and peered outside, her brow furrowed. She was sure she heard someone knocking, maybe it was a mistake? As she was about to close her door, a small meow called her attention. Looking down she sees a grey and black spotted Kneazle kitten staring up at her from a wicker bed.

"Oh, a Kneazle! Hello, little one, where did you come from?"

Hermione looks at all the brand new supplies sitting beside the bed and she slowly reaches out to pet the kitten who butted her hand. Hermione shaky smile spread on her face as she remembered how Crookshanks had did the same thing when she met him so many years ago.

"Oh what's this?" Hermione picks up the note.

 _I was saddened to find that you were allergic to the flowers I had sent. Please accept my apology. She doesn't have a name yet but knowing you, you've got the perfect name in mind._

Hermione smiles softly and carefully picking the kitten up, she looked into its intelligent green eyes and cooed. Turning around she walked into her flat and closed the door.


	5. Chapter 5

"So what are you going to do now?"

Draco sighs and looks at the fireplace.

"I don't know, mother."

Draco had left work that week in a slump. Even after Hermione came back from lunch with Victor, handing him his favorite sandwich from the cafe near the Ministry, Draco couldn't even muster up a true smile. Saturday found him seated on his mother's divan, pouting in a spectacular fashion.

"Oh, my Dragonling," Narcissa laughs softly at the scowl that replaced the pout when she called him that. She hadn't called him that since he was little and he remembers the time when she had stopped when he was nine and desperately trying to act like a miniature Lucius.

"Just like that, you are giving up?"

Draco shifts and looks at her, he shrugs his shoulders slightly and shakes his head.

"I just don't know what to do now, mother. All other attempts were failures. I sent her flowers and she was allergic to the pest product they used on their plants in the green house. I went and got her favorite type of cake but someone beat me too it," Draco crosses his arms and slumps in his seat.

"The only thing that went well was the kitten."

"Kitten?"

Draco smiles softly, "In school she had this beast of a cat, a Half-Kneazle, that disappeared during the war. He was very special to her and she hadn't gotten another familiar after. So I gave her one, anonymously of course, and you should have seen the look on her face."

Draco remembers the shaky smile of happiness Hermione bestowed when she informed him that she has received a new familiar the next Monday at work. She had decided to name the kitten Persephone and Draco joked about her apparent need to name everything after Greek mythology, pointing out her owl's name is Artemis. She bumped his shoulder at his teasing and Draco hid his smile behind his reports.

Narcissa sips her tea and thinks for a moment. Placing it down she moves to take a seat next to Draco. Taking his hand she rubs gently on his palm with her thumb.

"I remember when your father first started to court me."

Draco looks at their joined hands, listening intently.

"It was a disaster," Narcissa laughs at the memory.

"What happened?"

"Your father had the bright idea to make some grand statement for the first three gifts of our courtship. The first gift was a garden filled with various types of Mimosa flowers. I was highly allergic to them," Narcissa smiles at the memory. "The next week he came back with music and he sang."

"Father sang?" Draco asked incredulous.

"Yes, he did and he was terrible, much better at the piano. Then he came back the next week with birds of all creatures."

"Birds?" Draco asks in confusion.

"Yes, birds. Peacocks to be precise."

Draco gaped, "You mean father was responsible for those vicious overgrown pigeons that chased after me as a child?"

Narcissa shakes her head and taps his chin, "They only chased you because you antagonized them. But to answer your question, yes he was the one responsible for all those birds. Of course, your grandmother was delighted as she had been pestering your grandfather for peacocks of her own. It was safe to say that your grandfather was not happy but before he turned him away I requested that I be able to speak with him."

"What happened?" Draco asks as Narcissa reaches for her tea cup and takes a sip.

"Well, I said to him that while his gifts were beautiful and flattering I did not require such grand declarations. Your father of course thought that I was rejecting his suit, that I was rejecting him, the silly man."

"Was that the case?"

Narcissa shakes her head, "No, I told him that if he was serious, as his gifts had implied, that all I needed was for him to tell me how he feels and I am yours. I didn't need the extravagant gifts or grand gestures, I just wanted his hand in mine."

 _Tell me you love me and I am yours forever_

Narcissa smiled at her son as he pondered her words. Squeezing his hand to gain his attention, he looked up.

"Do you know what you have to do now?"

"Yes," Draco whispered, determination reflected in his eyes.

* * *

Draco takes a deep breath and knocks on Hermione's door. The sounds of her footsteps floating through the door as he waited.

"Draco," Hermione exclaimed breathlessly, smoothing her hair down that had escaped her bun as she smiled at him. Draco's heart beat began to beat double time and this time he didn't fight it. Reaching out his hand he softly touched a curl that had came loose and pulled it gently. Trailing his hand away from her hair he touched her cheek. Hermione leaned into his touch and he never felt so light.

"I have a confession to make," Draco began, "and I want to get this all out now before you say anything, please."

Hermione nods, holding his hand in place with hers. Draco brings his other hand up and pulls her close slowly.

"For the longest time I was blind to what was in front of me. You were everything and I was a little shit."

Hermione giggles and he smirks at her, continuing.

"It took a war to show me that I was wrong and you for some reason had chosen to forgive me of all people."

Hermione opens her mouth to protest and Draco silences her with a kiss on her forehead. Smoothing her cheeks with his thumbs, he lightly admonished her.

"Not done yet, witch. I know why you forgave me and why you chose to become my friend after so many years of antagonizing each other. Somewhere along the way, I fell for you, it crept up on me," Draco stared into her brown eyes and if it was at all possible fell deeper. Hermione returned his stare, her expression open and emotions swirled in her eyes.

Draco leans closer to her and whispers, "If you'll have me, I am yours forever."

Hermione closes her eyes and closes the distance between them. Draco's mind grinds to a stop and all he can think is _finally._ Every nerve in his body comes alive and the only sensation he ever wants- no, _needs_ \- is Hermione's lips on his and his hands running through her hair. They are breathless when they part, both hearts beating wildly in their chests. Draco calculates Arithmancy in his head as he rests his forehead on hers.

"I take that as a yes?"

Hermione laughs and kisses him again softly before nodding, "I was wondering when you would tell me. Though I did enjoy the gifts you sent."

Draco gapes at her for a moment before grinning wickedly at her, "Swot."

Hermione laughs, her eyes bright and smile wide and Draco wraps his arm around her waist and his other hand slips into her hair. He leans in, his whispered breath ghosting against her lips, sending thrills down Hermione's spine.

"Oh, yes the brightest."

* * *

 **Oh wow, that's it folks. Thank you again for reading my stories. It warms my heart that you folks enjoy them.**

 **I have more stories planned but for now they are on a back burner as I am planning on signing up for Camp NaNoWriMo in April.**

 **Thanks again!**


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